Himachal to now merge high schools with 15 students, sets lower limit for senior secondary ones too
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Shimla: Aiming to enhance the quality of education and fostering a competitive environment among students, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to merge high schools with less than 15 students and senior secondary schools with less than 25 students.
The decision was taken following a meeting chaired by Education Minister Rohit Thakur with departmental officials at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
Shift from earlier policy
The new directive marks a shift from the earlier policy, which called for the merger of schools with fewer than 20 students. The Directorate of Higher Education has been tasked with collecting fresh data and preparing a new proposal by the end of this month, which will be submitted to the government through the Education Minister. The final decision on this matter is expected to be taken in an upcoming state cabinet meeting.
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419 primary, middle schools merged recently
This move follows the recent merger of 419 primary and middle schools that had fewer than five students. According to departmental officials, the rationale behind these mergers is to concentrate resources and provide better educational facilities, which in turn will help in delivering quality education to students in the state.
“The decision to merge schools is part of our broader strategy to ensure that all students have access to a competitive learning environment. By consolidating schools with low enrollment, we can focus on improving the quality of education and make better use of our resources,” said an official from the Education Department.
After schools, action in colleges
In addition to the school mergers, the Education Department is also set to rationalise the deployment of lecturers in colleges across the state. Surplus lecturers from colleges with fewer students will be relocated to institutions where their expertise is more needed. College principals have been instructed to provide detailed reports on the number of students and lecturers for each subject by the end of this month.
The government’s approach signals a commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the education sector in Himachal Pradesh. With these tough decisions, the state aims to create an environment where students can thrive academically and teachers can deliver their best. However, the proposed changes are likely to spark discussions and debates among stakeholders, including parents, teachers and political leaders, as the state moves towards implementing these reforms.
